The President's Daily Brief - September 26th, 2024: Hezbollah Missiles Target Tel Aviv, Russia’s Covert Drone Program, & Iranian Cyber Warfare

Episode Date: September 26, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: • A significant escalation of hostilities in Northern Israel as Hezbollah reportedly fires a ballistic missile at the Tel Aviv-area headquarters of Israel's spy agency, Mossad. This marks the first-ever missile attack on the country's commercial capital. • Alarming reports suggest Russia is collaborating with China to develop long-range attack drones for the ongoing war in Ukraine. Documents reviewed by Reuters point to this covert weapons program enhancing Russia’s military capabilities. • Sweden’s security service accuses Iranian intelligence of orchestrating a cyber-attack that led to 15,000 revenge messages being sent after Quran-burning protests in the country. • And in today’s Back of the Brief: An update on would-be assassin Ryan Routh as federal prosecutors officially charge him with attempting to assassinate former President Trump. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. Email: [e-mail] ☕ Blackout Coffee: https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. We'll start off today's show with a significant escalation of hostilities in Israel, as Hezbollah has reportedly fired a ballistic missile at the Tel Aviv area headquarters of Israel's spy agency, Mossad. This marks the first ever ever. missile attack on the country's commercial capital. Later in the program, we'll examine alarming reports that Russia is collaborating with China to develop long-range attack drones for the ongoing war in Ukraine. But wait, he says, I thought Xi Jinping said that China wasn't involved in Russia's military efforts and that they weren't taking sides. Well, that's shocking.

Documents reviewed by Reuters suggested this covert weapons program aims to enhance Russia's military capabilities. Plus, Sweden's security service is accusing Iranian intelligence of orchestrating a cyber attack involving a hacked text messaging service. The attack led to some 15,000 messages being sent out, calling for revenge against Quran burners after anti-Islam activists set fire to copies of the book. And in today's back of the brief, an update on would-be assassin Ryan Routh, as federal prosecutors have now officially charged him with attempting to assassinate former President Trump. Apparently, it took a while to decide if hiding in the bushes on the golf course for 12 hours and then pointing a long gun in the direction of former President Trump

was worthy of being charged with attempted assassination. Not to mention, of course, Ralph's letter in which he stated he was going to attempt to assassinate former President Trump. If only we had more clues. But first, today's PDB spotlight. I want to begin with an update on the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah as the terror group escalates their attacks deeper inside Israeli territory and the IDF mulls a potential ground invasion of Lebanon. Israeli civilians in Tel Aviv woke two air raid sirens on Wednesday morning triggered by a surface-to-surface ballistic missile launched by Hezbollah, marking the first occasion that a missile fired by the terror group as targeted Israel's second most populous city and its commercial capital.

It was also the first time Hezbollah had fired a ballistic missile against Israel since fighting began last October. The IDF managed to intercept the missile and there were no reports of casualties or injuries according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. Officials with Hezbollah later confirmed the launch, which they said targeted the headquarters of Israel's intelligence service Mossad. They blame Mossad for orchestras. assassinations of their senior leadership, as well as last week's coordinated detonation of

thousands of pagers and radios used by their members. Herzzi Halivi, IDF's military chief, promised a swift retaliation, saying, quote, today Hezbollah expanded its range of fire, and later today they will receive a very strong response, end quote. In addition to this planned retaliation, Halifi indicated Wednesday that Israel is preparing for a potential ground invasion, of Lebanon, noting that Hezbollah has established large military outposts along the border with underground infrastructure and launchpads aimed at Israeli territory. The senior IDF commander reportedly told troops stationed along the northern border that their massive air campaign against Hezbollah, which continued on Wednesday,

aimed to both degrade Hezbollah's military capabilities and, quote, prepare the ground for your possible entry. Earlier on Wednesday, the IDFLA, announced that two reserve brigades were being called up for deployment along the northern border with Lebanon. Halie told the troops, quote, we are not stopping, we keep striking and hitting them everywhere. The goal is very clear to safely return the residents of the north. To achieve that, we are preparing the process of a ground maneuver, which means your military boots, your maneuvering boots will enter enemy territory, end quote. As we've been covering, Israel began

air strikes on Monday targeting thousands of Hezbollah military sites in Lebanon, which have so far killed more than 500 people, including many senior members of the terror group, and displaced at least 90,000 Lebanese civilians. The strikes have gone a long way towards degrading Hezbollah's military operations. On Tuesday, a strike in Beirut eliminated senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Kubasi, who served as the chief of Hezbollah's missiles and rocket division. Meanwhile, with a potential regional war looming, the Biden administration, with help from partners France, gutter, and Egypt, is scrambling to put together a plan for an initial pause in the fighting for up to four weeks. They reportedly hope that such a pause could also help revive

ceasefire talks concerning Gaza, and that's according to U.S. and Israeli sources who spoke with Axios. At least before the latest escalations, Hasbullah said that they would ceasefire talks concerning Gaza, and that's seats their rocket attacks on Israel, which began shortly after 7 October, if a truce was reached with Hamas. While Israel is squarely focused on their military operations, the Israeli source said Prime Minister Netanyahu had given the green light to at least discuss this initiative. According to the sources, the goal is to achieve a long enough pause to allow time for broader negotiations on a diplomatic deal to avert a wider regional war and to allow displaced civilians on both sides to return to their homes. The U.S. source added, quote,

if Hamas sees that Hezbollah gives a chance for a diplomatic solution, it could encourage Hamas leader Yaya Sinwar to move toward a deal, end quote. Of course, that's assuming that Sinwar is still alive. Now, we'll have to wait and see if this is anything more than wishful thinking from the White House. They have been prone over the past few months to making overly optimistic statements about the status of ceasefire negotiations. In the meantime, the Israeli security captain convened Wednesday evening to discuss next steps, and Netanyahu is set to arrive in New York on Thursday to attend the UN General Assembly. All right, coming up after the break, alarming reports of Russia collaborating with China to develop long-range attack drones for the Ukraine

war. And Sweden accuses Iran of a cyber attack that sent messages calling for revenge after Koran burnings. I'll have those stories when we come back. Choice hotels get you more of what you value. Here's a little tune to help you remember. Same drive, different day. Don't you wish you were getting away? Pack your beds and come on through. Texas, Ohio, Alaska, we're up there too. Comfort in. It's calling your... your name, save on the stain. Oh, and free waffles are yours to claim. Well, I hope you like my little song, book direct at

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sign up for your $1 per month trial at Shopify.com slash special offer. Welcome back to the BDB. I want to turn our attention to the complex relationship and cooperation that exists between Moscow and Beijing. As an alarming report emerges that Russia has established a secret weapons program in China, inside China, that is building next generation attack drones. Now, according to two European intelligence sources who spoke with Reuters, a company known as Kupol, that's K-U-P-O-L, a subsidiary of a Russian state-owned arms manufacturer, has been operating inside China and working with local specialists to develop long-range drones for use in Ukraine, though it's unclear exactly when the program began. Leaked documents from the company Kupold, and it reviewed by Reuters, revealed that the drones have already been

flight tested, and at least seven were delivered to Russia sometime earlier this year to undergo further trials. The drones are reportedly an upgraded version of Russia's Garpea 1. That's a drone that incorporates the designs of Chinese specialists. It's thought to be able to travel up to 1,240 miles while carrying a 110-pound munition load, far exceeding the current capabilities of Moscow's domestically produced drone fleet. The new drones, dubbed the G3, are comparable to the Shahed drones, provided to Russia by Iran, and pose a major new threat, of course, to Ukraine, which already faces constant missile and drone bombardments from Moscow. The European intelligence sources told Reuters that the documents are the first concrete evidence since the war began in 2022, that entire drones

manufactured inside China were being delivered to Russia rather than just technological components. An analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies told Reuters, quote, if you look at what China is known to have delivered so far, it was mostly dual-use goods. It was components, sub-components, that could be used in weapon systems. but what we haven't really seen, at least in the open source, are documented transfers of whole weapon systems. We should stress, however, that the identity and affiliation of the Chinese drone specialists remain unclear. And China's foreign ministry, oh, you'll be surprised by this, denied having any knowledge of such a drone program. Nope, nope, never heard of it.

No idea what you're talking about. Officials with the White House National Security Council, this is rich. officials with the White House National Security Council said the Reuters report was deeply concerning as it showed a Chinese company providing lethal aid to Russia, but they noted that they saw no indication that the Chinese government was aware of the activity. Okay, well, I'm sorry, first of all, I should have said that with a straight face, but okay, now, that could be the most asinine thing that I've heard dribble out from this administration. They're implying that perhaps there's Chinese company working in China on a secretive program to design, build, and provide long-range

attack drones to Putin, but maybe the Chinese regime doesn't know about it. I almost have to retire the PDB's dumbass statement of the day award and just say that it now permanently belongs to the Biden administration's NSC. Still, the NSC did say they followed up with saying that it was China's responsibility to ensure companies weren't flouting the Chinese Communist Party's pledge not to provide weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine. Good Lord, it just keeps getting more stupid. Now, while China has walked something of a fine line, I suppose, in their economic support of Russia ever since the war broke out, many experts expressed skepticism that the CCP would be willing to open themselves up to harsh international sanctions by so brave.

raisinly aiding Russia's war machine. A senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security told Reuters, quote, for a factory to exist officially that builds UAVs for the Russians, exposes China to some of the more severe effects of the sanctions, so it's not clear the extent to which China would be willing to expose itself, end quote. As a reminder, China has attempted to position themselves as a neutral party and mediator ever since the war broke out, but have maintained a close alliance with Russia through strong economic ties, while also advocating at the same time for a peace deal that heavily favors Moscow. Putting it a bit more plainly, China threw Putin a lifeline and their economic support since his invasion in 2022 has allowed Putin to not only keep his military

complex going, but to expand it. Back in February 2022, just days before Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, China and Russia agreed to a no-limits partnership. Oh, that sounds very romantic, which has included the transfer of computer chips, advanced software, and technological components that, of course, have military applications. So far, representatives for the Kremlin have declined to comment on the report, as has the Ukrainian government. Okay, shifting focus to Sweden. The country's security service, Sapo, SAPO, accused Iranian intelligence of Orraniiq, orchestrating a cyber attack that breached a Swedish text messaging service, say that three times fast, a Swedish text messaging service leading to the mass distribution of 15,000 messages aimed at inciting

violence against individuals involved in burning copies of the Quran. The controversy traces back to Quran burning incidents in Sweden, which sparked outrage across a Muslim world. In 2023, anti-Islam activists publicly set fire to the Quran. an act that was condemned by the Swedish government. However, Swedish courts allowed the burnings to proceed under the country's laws protecting freedom of expression, which fueled tensions, of course, domestically and internationally. The backlash from these incidents was swift and widespread, with protests erupting in many Muslim-majority countries. In Iraq, the Swedish ambassador was expelled only hours after Sweden's embassy was attacked and set ablaze by protesters. In a sense of

statement released on Tuesday, the Swedish prosecution authority announced that a cyber group acting on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the infamous IRGC, calling itself the Anzu team, was behind the data breach of a local short message service, a SMS operator in August of 2023. The breach enabled hackers to steal login credentials and send inflammatory messages to some 15,000 recipients. Swedish broadcaster SVT published a photo of one message sent by a group that read, quote, Those who desecrated the Quran must have their work covered in ashes, end quote. The message further hailed for revenge against the Quran burners and labeled Swedes as, quote,

demons. Well, they did start IKEA, didn't they? In a statement, Sappho stated, quote, the purpose was, among other things, to paint the image of Sweden as an Islamophobic country and create division in society. end quote. While Swedish prosecutors identified the hackers acting on behalf of the IRGC as responsible, the investigation was actually closed due to the challenges of prosecuting foreign nationals acting on behalf of a government. Justice Minister Gunnar Strummer issued a statement on Tuesday,

condemning Iran's actions calling it, quote, very serious that a state actor would seek to increase polarization within Swedish society. Iran's embassy in Stockholm dismissed the accusation, as, quote, baseless, oh, they're baseless, stating the accusation harms relations between the two countries. You know what else does? Sowing discontent and chaos and hacking into text messaging systems. This incident is part of a broader pattern of hostile activity attributed to Iran on Swedish soil. In May, 2003, Sapo accused Tehran of using criminal networks in Sweden to carry out violent acts against individuals or groups deemed a threat by the the Iran government. Sweden's security services have long identified Iran, Russia, and China as posing security threats to the country. All right. Coming up in the back of the brief,

would-be assassin Ryan Ralph faces new charges in federal court. I'll have the details when we come back. Hey, honey, it's mom. Did you know if we switched to Verizon we can get four phones for zero dollars, plus four lines for $25 a line? Call me back. Me again. That's just a hundred, dollars a month for four lines on unlimited welcome plus four phones no trade in needed call me it's mom america's best network verizon that's the one we're talking about i'll send you text america's best network based on root metrics best overall mobile network performance u.s second half 2025 four two lines on a limited welcome and auto pay see verizon dot com for details how many discounts does u.s a auto insurance offer too many to say here multi vehicle discount safe driver discount

new vehicle discount storage discount legacy how many discounts will you stack up, tap the banner or visit usaa.com slash auto discounts. Restrictions apply. In today's back of the brief, federal prosecutors have officially charged Ryan Routh with attempting to assassinate former President Trump. On Tuesday, the indictment introduced three new charges against Routh, attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and assaulting a federal officer. Now, these charges are added to the original two federal charges that Ralph was already facing, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

All charges stem, of course, from the 15th September assassination attempt at Trump International Golf Club. Attorney General Merrick Garland foreshadowed the move during a news conference on Tuesday, stating, quote, the Justice Department will not tolerate violence that strikes at the heart of our democracy, and we will find and hold accountable those who perpetrate it. This must stop, end quote. As we've been tracking here on the PDB, according to prosecutors, Ralph kept a list of locations where Trump had made appearances between August and October, along with places he was scheduled to visit. Evidence presented in court, including cell phone

data, places Ralph at the golf course and Trump's Mar-a-Lago residents on multiple occasions. In a letter uncovered by prosecutors, Ralph reportedly wrote to a civilian witness months prior to his arrest, stating, quote, this was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I failed you, end quote. Investigators revealed that Ralph's movements were carefully planned and that he was waiting for the best opportunity to carry out the assassination. The case will be overseen by Judge Eileen Cannon, a Trump-appointed judge who previously presided over and ultimately dismissed, the federal classified documents case against the former president back in July. This random assignment adds an interesting to mention, of course, to the proceedings, as Cannon has already dealt with a high-profile Trump-related case.

Ralph is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, where further details about his alleged plot and the additional charges will be revealed. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Thursday, 26th September. If you have any questions or comments, please, Reach out to me at PDB at thefirstTV.com. And to listen to the show ad-free, well, you know the drill, become a premium member of the president's daily brief by simply visiting PDB premium.com, and it is simple.

I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. because behind every headline is a bottom line. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings,

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